Role: Team Leader – Safeguarding (Designated Person)
Location: Bedford College – Cauldwell Street Campus
Salary/Benefits: Salary is between £29,316 and £34,394 per annum DOE and Qualifications, 27 days annual leave plus Bank holidays, People’s Pension, Retail and Leisure Discounts, excellent professional and personal development opportunities, accessing college courses.
Hours/Weeks: 37 hours per week – 52 weeks per year
Contract Type: Permanent – Full Time
This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.
About the role:
We are currently seeking a Team Leader in Safeguarding to join our Student Services department at The Bedford College Group.
As a Team Leader, you play an important role in the success of our students through:
1. Safeguarding Leadership & Staff Management – Lead safeguarding operations by managing staff induction, appraisal and performance, modelling best practice, and supporting staff development across teams and campuses.
2. Operational Safeguarding Oversight – Work closely with the DSL and Group Head of Safeguarding to meet statutory duties (including Prevent), oversee case management, ensure timely responses, and maintain high‑quality CPOMS records and outcomes.
3. Student Welfare, Behaviour & Risk Management – Ensure safeguarding and wellbeing concerns are resolved professionally, manage high‑level incidents, support disciplinary processes, risk assessments and Fitness to Study procedures, and collaborate with ALS and curriculum teams.
4. Partnerships, Estates & Stakeholder Engagement – Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, attend multi‑agency meetings, support accommodation‑related safety processes and contribute to a positive, consistent student experience across all sites.
5. Reporting, Quality & Continuous Improvement – Analyse safeguarding data, produce executive reports, gather student feedback, deliver staff training, support curriculum content development and drive continuous improvement while upholding safeguarding, EDI, health & safety and training duties.
About you:
6. Qualifications & Core Competencies – Level 3 DSL, Level 5 safeguarding‑related qualification (or equivalent experience), strong general education including GCSE‑level English and Maths, and proficiency in Microsoft applications.
7. Safeguarding, Prevent & Case Management Expertise – Extensive experience managing safeguarding for children, young people and vulnerable adults, with strong knowledge of Prevent, CONTEST, CPOMS and equality, diversity and inclusion practices.
8. Decision‑Making, Prioritisation & Holistic Support– Skilled in handling complex cases, managing competing priorities, working collaboratively across services and ensuring timely, effective outcomes for learners.
9. Communication, Leadership & Professional Skills – Excellent written and verbal communication, strong interpersonal skills, ability to build relationships, motivate others, solve problems and work in line with organisational values.
10. Safeguarding Values, Flexibility & Ongoing Development – Committed to safeguarding responsibilities, maintaining professional boundaries, continuous learning, flexible working across locations and adherence to health & safety requirements.
For a more detailed breakdown of the job role and the requirements, please see the Job Description attached to this vacancy.
Interviews to be held: TBC
Successful candidates must also be able to demonstrate alignment to our organisational VISION values:
11. Valuing Teamwork - We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.
12. Improving Continuously - We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and learning from others.
13. Student Centred - At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.
14. Inclusive - We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.
15. Open and Caring - We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.
16. Nurturing Education Excellence - We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.
About The Bedford College Group
The Bedford College Group was formed in 2017 following the merger of Bedford College and Tresham College and is now the largest provider of education in the South East Midlands, with over 15,000 students passing through our doors each year.
Today, the Group is made up of a family of colleges across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire: Bedford College, Central Bedfordshire College and Tresham College in the towns of Bedford, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough; Shuttleworth College, a specialist land-based college; The Bedford Sixth Form, (the only dedicated sixth form in Bedford); The Corby Sixth Form, (opened in September 2023); and the National College for Motorsport alongside Silverstone race circuit. To widen accessibility to education and training, the Group also has community-based Learning Centres in Bedford, Corby and Kettering which offer IT training.
Safeguarding our Students
The Bedford College Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to thorough vetting process which includes, an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. The Bedford College Group's policy on Employment of Ex-Offenders is attached to this vacancy.
Candidates who are barred from working with children are reminded it is a criminal offence to apply for this post.